All the Worlds Over and Back Again
by remuslupin31060
Summary: River Song woke one morning with a cold, and the Doctor decides to take care of her. However, the Doctor has never been very good with domestic things, and doesn't know exactly what to do. PoV switches, though the story is written in third person, and most of the chapters are relatively short. Also, 6-13 spoiler! It's not quite T, more K . Please enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

River Song woke in the Tardis bedroom that she and the Doctor shared. This was one of the rare times when they met at a point in their time streams when both knew each other well, and, better yet, they were married. She was freezing. The Tardis wasn't usually this cold, she noted as she pulled the blankets up higher over her sweatpants and long-sleeved shirt to her chin. She felt terrible, and her nose was congested. Was it the Tardis that was cold, or was it her?

Becoming fully awake, she yawned and rolled over, finding the Doctor, somewhat to her surprise, still lying next to her. As a Timelord, he didn't need as much sleep as humans, or even part-Timelords, did. Normally, he would be in the Tardis console room or library, or even sitting up in bed reading or thinking; today, he was still lying there, just watching her.

"Good morning!" The Doctor smiled his huge dazzling smile she loved and pressed his lips against her forehead in a good morning kiss. She was just about to reply with a "Hello, sweetie", when he pulled away and placed the back of his hand against her forehead.

"You're burning up," he said with concern. Then, quickly, "I mean, you're not _actually_ burning up, that would be bad, and-"

"Doctor," River interrupted with a slight raise of her hand and a grin. "I was going to scold you for the Tardis being so cold, but I think that might just be me after all. I must have a cold."

"You do sound a bit congested" A pause. "Well then… I'll cancel my plans to take us to the planet Corinnia. The garden of galactic tulips is wonderful. We can go there another day. Today, I take care of you."

"You don't have to. Just drop me off at the prison. I know this kind of stuff isn't your thing."

"Now what kind of husband would that make me? I definitely know I don't have cold medicine," he said seriously, "but I might have tissues around here somewhere."

He got up and walked out of the room with that, contemplating if and where he would have tissues. He stuck his head back in a few seconds later. "And I don't have a 'thing'".


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor walked through the many hallways of the Tardis, making his way to one of the closets, this one just passed the library. He didn't get colds and he hadn't dealt with anyone with one in… well, he couldn't remember. He'd already checked two closets for tissues and the one he was headed to now was the only other place he could think of checking.

Normally he would send a companion home if they were to get sick, but River was different. She was his wife, he had some level of responsibility over her.

And besides… he loved her. He hadn't wanted to at first; he had fought the emotion that had taken him over. He knew her ending, which made loving her hard. In the end, however, he lost the fight and learned to accept his feelings. She _was_ part Timelord. He was still sort of reserved about it all, especially around Amy and Rory. He hadn't yet told River that he loved her, at least not in a way that was straightforward. She knew he loved her, buy she still deserved to be told that. He just wasn't used to revealing his feelings; over the years, he had learned to hide them, because doing just that always ended in him being hurt, and pain was always what he tries to escape. But, if he didn't tell her soon, he might not get the chance at all, and that would cause more pain than hiding his emotions.

He was brought back to reality when he walked straight into the closet door, something that seemed to happen to him a lot these days.

Rummaging through the closet, he found almost everything except tissues. He found spray that protected against certain lethal aliens, bowties he thought he'd lost ages ago, and even soap. Finally, after what seemed like a while of searching, he found a single box of tissues.

As he started back towards his bedroom, he hoped one box would be enough. He wasn't exactly used to caring for sick people, doing domestic stuff like this. He had no idea what would make his wife better. He just hoped he could do enough for her.


	3. Chapter 3

River smiled at the remark her husband had made before he'd left the room. She was glad he hadn't sent her back to the prison. She enjoyed being with him, as she didn't always get to be. The Doctor's caring gesture was much appreciated. She didn't get sick very often, but when she did, it was him that she wanted to be with. His wanting her to be with him today showed her that he loved her.

"Achoo!" She sneezed and hoped that the Doctor did indeed have tissues.

"Bless you," he said, walking in the room and holding out a very dusty box of napkins as if on cue.

She gave him an odd look and then blew her nose with a stiff napkin. "These aren't tissues."

He blinked. "They're not?" The Doctor took the box and read the label. He looked confused for a moment, and then seemed to remember that these, napkins, were used at the dinner table. His shoulders fell a bit. "Oh."

River smiled. "It's fine. At least I have _something_ to blow my nose with. Thank you," she said sincerely.

He nodded his response and sat down at the end of the bed. "How do you feel?"

"I can't breathe through my nose without feeling like I'm going to pass out, I've got a slight headache, and I'm exhausted and freezing. But being with you makes it better."

He smiled and got up to get her another blanket. Laying it over her, he sat down next to her and took his wife's hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb. She was very pale and still quite warm. He felt bad for her, but he didn't know what he could do to at least cheer her up.

"Do you want to play chess or something?" he asked, hoping that it would be something to distract her from being sick.

"Chess sounds nice."

He got up and retrieved his chess set. River noticed that he was still wearing his flannel pajamas with the little bowties printed on them and rolled her eyes.

"I saw that!" he said, grinning. "What was that for?

"You can be so _childish_ sometimes!" She smiled.

"Me? Childish? Never!" the Doctor said, partly sarcastic. He sat back down next to her as she pulled herself into a sitting position and coughed.

"You're not allowed to go easy on me this time!" she said hoarsely. Last time they had played chess together he had let her win, all the while claiming that she had won fairly. It wasn't that she was bad at chess; she was actually quite good at the game. However, Dr. River Song knew of no one alive hat could beat the Doctor.

He let her go first, and they both started by moving a pawn two spaces.

"And I didn't let you win," he said, innocently at first. "I simply unintentionally motivated you to beat me with my charming-beyond-belief smile that you do so love."

River grinned. He could be such a flirt. "Is that why I won? Because of your smile?"

"I assure you, my dear Dr. Song, that that _is_ why you won. Maybe I should try frowning this time, what would you think of that?"

The game was moving quite fast. He was close to winning, having captured her queen, bishops and assorted other pieces. He moved his knight and she captured it with her rook, realizing as soon as she'd done it that it have been a trap. He took her rook with his one remaining bishop instantly.

"I would think," she said, moving her knight closer to his king, "that you would be trying very hard."

"Trying very hard to do what, exactly?" he asked, moving his bishop once again.

"To please me." She coughed hoarsely as she moved her last bishop towards his king. "Check."

He moved his king out of check and she moved her bishop back, working out a strategy. He moved his rook by her king. "Checkmate."

She smiled again. "That's better. A fair game."

"Are you pleased?"  
"Very."

"Good." He put the chess set away and walked around to her side of the bed. "You must be hungry, can't I get you _something?_

"I would love that."

"I'll be right back, then. Wait- what exactly is it that people eat when they're sick?"

"Soup, sometimes. But I'll eat whatever you can make," she added hastily, realizing that the Doctor might not know how to make soup.

"Soup it is, then!"

"Have you ever actually made soup before?"

"No, but it can't be too hard. It's just liquid with some chicken and vegetables mixed in," he said confidently.


	4. Chapter 4

He _needed_ to tell her. She obviously knew he loved her, but he needed to confirm that. He just didn't understand why it had to be so hard. All he wanted to say was three simple words. If he didn't tell her soon, she would go on that trip and he would never be able to tell her. That would be something that he would regret forever.

He hadn't told Rose his feelings either. Though he had moved on, he still felt guilty for trapping her in a parallel universe. He hoped she was happy with the half-human Doctor.

He grabbed a bowl and poured some broth into it. River was who he loved now, and he cared about her. He felt bad that he couldn't always be with her, that she had to be stuck in that prison because of him.

Chicken was put in the bowl then. He would not make any of the mistakes he had made before ever again. He'd been the hurting the ones he loved by doing so. Gosh, he had ruined a huge part of Amy's life with Rory. He couldn't let River's life get any more incomplete. Not because of him, not because of anyone.

He threw in random vegetables next- celery, broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini- anything he could find. She was his wife, he loved her. And he would protect her. Today was the day he would tell her.


	5. Chapter 5

River sneezed and blew her nose on another painfully stiff napkin. Her nose had gotten red and sore from using them. She didn't complain, though. After all the Doctor had done for her, she didn't know how to thank him. He just wanted to make her feel better. He was doing just that merely by being around.

If he had dropped her off at the prison, she'd be feeling miserable right now. She did feel terrible, but she wasn't _miserable. _She just needed to be loved. That's what anyone feeling sick needed.

She knew the Doctor loved her, but sometimes she doubted it. He had never once told her he loved her. The only reason they had gotten married was because of her. Sure, he _liked_ her- they teased each other flirtatiously all the time. But did he love her?

She shouldn't be doubting him, she knew that, but she couldn't help thinking… If he didn't love her, or if he only loved her to a degree, she was keeping him with her, trapping him, in a way. If he didn't love her, then he should be free, free of any ties, free to explore the universe… free from her.

She scolded herself then. Of course he loves you, she thought. Stop doubting the man.

Doctor River Song was a strong woman. Doctor River Song pushed her doubt aside and focused on what she definitely knew. But, like in most minds, a bit of doubt remained.


	6. Chapter 6

The Doctor walked back into the bedroom and handed River the steaming bowl of soup. She thanked him and he lifted a spoonful of the odd-smelling liquid to her mouth. What she tasted nearly made her choke. It was _terrible,_ and it was all she could do to stop herself from spitting it out.

River didn't let her husband know what she thought about his soup. He had gone to the trouble of making it for her and he would be disappointed and maybe even a little upset if he knew he had failed. He was already disappointed in himself for not providing her with proper tissues.

"It's good," she lied, hoping that he wouldn't sense the deception.

She ate almost the whole bowl of the Doctor's concoction, leaving just a little left at the bottom of the bowl. Though it tasted horrible, she was famished, having not eaten all day. She thought that if she ate was left, a good amount of vegetables mixed in with the remaining broth, there was a chance that she might throw up.

The man leaning up against her side of the bed she was sitting on took the bowl from her, and, before she could stop him, ate a spoonful of it, curious as to how his soup tasted. His eyes widened and he almost immediately spit it out, coughing.

"I thought you said it was good!" he said, taking a rather large gulp from the glass of water he had brought her.

"I did," she said, handing him one of her napkin-turned-tissues and smirking.

He just looked at her. "You know, you must really love that husband of yours to eat a bowlful of this… this... _stuff_," he finished, not having any other word for it.

"Oh, he is quite a wonderful man. Always running. It's sort of a hobby of his. You really should come with us sometime." Another playful smirk.

The Doctor grinned and placed the nearly empty bowl on the far end of the bedside table. Then he moved to his side of their bed and sat down, appearing deep in thought. Now was the time.

"There's something I need to tell you," he said, feeling a bit nervous. He was never very good when it came to this stuff. He took both of his wife's hands in his and looked straight into her eyes, which he'd always found quite pretty. "I know I've never told you this before, but that doesn't make it any less true."

He leaned in to kiss her, but she moved away, pressing a finger to his lips. "I'm sick, remember? You can't kiss me," she said softly, never taking her eyes off of his.

He took her hand in his again and pulled her closer. "I won't get sick. Besides, I wouldn't care anyway."

The Doctor kissed her then, a kiss which was held for a few long moments. When it was finally broken, he pulled his wife into a hug, holding her there.

"I know you've probably doubted it. I wanted to tell you, really, I did, but I was… scared. I'm not anymore. I love you." The Doctor finally said what he knew he needed to say.

"I know," River said, lips parted, eyes sparkling.

"I love you," he repeated, holding her ever closer, whispering the words in her ear, "all the worlds over and back again."

And, having traveled to nearly all the worlds, he would know.


End file.
